In Time, And Out Of It
by Adage
Summary: Picks up at the end of Season 4. Stefan loved Elena straightaway, Damon grew to love her over time; she loves both of them. But does she really know them? When a new face shows in town, mischief is afoot, and it seems like only Damon can see it. Will he get everyone on board before time runs out, even if it means baring his heart for all to see? E/D C/K
1. Chapter 1: Of Thoughts Unspoken

Chapter 1: Of Thoughts Unspoken

She threw her head back and laughed out loud, a proper belly laugh that bubbled up and echoed down the corridors of the school. Caroline and Bonnie subsequently dissolved into helpless giggles: all three of them basking in the glow of a shared joke among friends. The laughter attracted the attention of the milling students, and bought smiles to their faces.

What must it be like, Damon wondered, to have such an effect on those around you? How can you harness that kind of power – the power to make others like you – simply by being? He lingered in a doorway, unnoticed, as the three girls went about their normal business. Chatting about what so-and-so had worn to this-and-that party, and how ill-advised this has been.

To the casual observer they seemed like perfectly normal girls. Their conversation was casual and engaged on a shallow level of human awareness, and their appearance was wholesome and – somehow – full of sparkling life. It was easy to forget that here stood two vampires, one of doppelgänger heritage, and a witch of great and terrible power. Damon remained entranced, as ever unable to take his eyes off the expressive contours of Elena's face.

He had come to the school with the intention of finding Stefan; although he had apparently decided that he didn't want to be found. So instead Damon seemed to have fallen victim to his usual pastime of Elena-watching. Not productive, but certainly enjoyable.

Life had quietened considerably since the veil had dropped back into place, and although everyone else seemed to be enjoying the respite – the girls were excited about their incoming graduation, Stefan was planning the best course to present Elena with the Cure, the Originals were comfortably back in their seat of being all-powerful in a Silas-free world – Damon didn't trust it one little bit. It wasn't just the manner in which everything resolved itself, which was inexplicable at best, but the speed at which everyone seemed to forget their impending doom. It was like magic... annoying, memory-altering magic.

Damon scowled at his thoughts, and again remembered why he'd wanted to locate Stefan. Word on the grapevine was that Klaus had somehow fathered a child, which was making all sorts of a hullaballoo in the vampire underground. Would this child be part-vampire? And, if so, would that make it an organic Vampire? Something that no one had thought possible. Damon at least needed something to put the group back on their guard again; this happy acceptance of life worried him. And even worse, they had nothing to talk about but soppy feelings and when Elena was going to take the Cure. Something he'd rather not think about if possible.

"Damon."

Jolted out of his quickly spiralling thought pattern, he found himself staring into impossibly deep brown eyes. "Hello, Elena."

"Are you alright? Has something happened to Stefan?"

Damon narrowed his eyes slightly in reaction to the unbidden concern over his brother. "Nah; just can't stand a day without him by my side y'know?"

She rolled her eyes at his flippant comment before frowning slightly. "I haven't seen him around here today – I thought you two had something planned?"

"Nope. Well, I'm sure he can't have gone far. Catch you after classes, girlfriend."

He took too much pleasure in the surprised widening of her eyes as he turned to walk away. Calling her that had become one of his latest habits; it had the combined advantage of winding her up and reminding her of what had come to pass – and what had yet to come. She'd made a decision once, and he carried that pain with him every day. He was already dreading the next decision she would make, as he knew this would be the final one. The one that would drive a wedge between him and Stefan for good.

"Damon," she called after him. "Take care." He turned to look at her quizzically. She shrugged; "I just... have a feeling."

As he walked away he felt the darkness settle back in around his character, as it always did when he left her. He left the school and turned right heading along the road to the parking lot. A sharp pain in his head stopped him short, it intensified quickly bringing him to his knees. It felt like his head was being split in half, similar but different to when a witch caused repetitive aneurisms... this was more... burny. And then he blacked out, sprawling face-first in the Mystic Falls dust.

A faraway figure watched impassively, a mischievous glint in their eye. This was going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2: Of Shadows Unseen

Chapter 2: Of Shadows Unseen

Caroline threw herself down on the bed dramatically.

"WHAT am I going to do?" she lamented.

"C'mon Car – it's not like he's sold his soul. He just likes her is all." Elena rolled her eyes at her prostrate, drama queen best friend.

"He may as well have! She's Rebekah, an Original, and not to mention soulless and vindictive. Plus, I'm pretty sure the other cheerleaders like her more than me. And I'm their **Captain ** - their Captain! - that used to MEAN something."

Bonnie caught Elena's eye and they both hid smiles. Many things changed in Mystic Falls, and new supernatural super powers seemed to sweep in and out on a weekly basis, but Caroline never would. It was comforting, really.

"You know Matt as well as us; he's the sensible one. If he sees something in her then... well maybe she's not all bad. And, y'know, she did stop you from cutting off your own hands."

"Why are you raining on my pity party?" the blonde girl pouted at them.

Elena laughed and moved to a block of sunlight filtering through Caroline's bedroom window. She smiled, feeling the warmth on her face. "I don't know. I just feel so... peaceful. The sun is out, we graduate soon, we're all alive, well – sort of, and we're together. AND we're not being hunted by any immortal, ageless, unkillable beings. I'd say... life is good."

Bonnie's face wrinkled in tension, as though she'd realised something, before flattening away into an equally serene expression. Elena, standing idly in the sunshine, didn't notice anything amiss. "Elena's right; we should just take some time off from drama and enjoy it. After all, I think we deserve it don't we?"

"But Elena, what about the Cure? Have Damon or Stefan talked to you about it yet? Surely their just waiting for the opportune moment? And Bonnie, what about your Gram's? Have you remembered yet what happened when - " Caroline was cut short as two brunette blurs tackled her on the bed.

"Further serious-talk will be punished with a pillow to the face!" Elena threatened.

Caroline narrowed her eyes, calculatingly. "You really think you could beat me?" Quicker than the human eye could detect, the blonde-haired girl had a pillow firmly in hand and Bonnie was left with mussed hair and bemused expression.

"Don't make me play dirty, girls," she warned, smiling dangerously.

"And I was given to believe that that took place in their underwear," Klaus said dryly.

Stefan raised an expressive eyebrow. "If Damon was anywhere I would put money on him lurking around here."

Klaus smirked. "No doubt." He looked back at the three girls who sat giggling amidst a pile of feathers and destroyed pillows. "Do you want to interrupt them or..."

"We can hear you, y'know," called Caroline's lilting voice haughtily from the adjoining room. "What do you want?"

The Original hybrid smiled despite himself. "We just came looking for the other Salvatore," he replied, strolling through to her bedroom.

"Damon?" Elena asked curiously. "He was looking for you earlier," she nodded to Stefan, "Did he not find you?"

"No," he replied slowly. "Come to think of it, I didn't see much of him yesterday either."

Caroline shrugged. "He's Damon, all facetious and blunt, could be up to anything."

"I'm worried about him," Stefan countered. "Since the veil dropped back into place he's been even more anxious and fidgety than usual. Something's up with him." He studiously ignored the fact that all other eyes in the room moved straight to Elena's face.

"He's too much of a loose cannon. I rather suspect he may know about my little predicament in New Orleans, and it would be in his best interests to just leave the thing be." The threat was half-veiled and aimed at Stefan, who took it without surprise.

Caroline narrowed her eyes looking between their two expressions. "With the witches or whatever, right? Why would Damon care about them?"

Klaus shook his head as though something was clouding his thoughts. "I don't know. Let's forget it shall we? Anyone for a game of pool at the Grill?"

And just like that, the others felt their burdens lifting and their thoughts clarifying. The Grill was an excellent idea. Why not have a night off? No harm would come to them.

Damon paced the floor where they had been long after they had departed for the Grill. He wasn't sure where he was, but it definitely wasn't the land of the living, or, if it was it sucked. No one could see him, hear him or even feel his presence. It was just like a normal day really, he scowled.

He supposed he should be worrying that he may actually be dead... but if that was the case he was going to damn well hang around until somebody noticed. What bothered him more was that his brother, Elena and her friends were obviously under some sort of spell, compulsion, or **something.** This just wasn't normal behaviour – they were all far too relaxed. Why wasn't Stefan pestering Elena about the Cure already? Why wasn't Bonnie stressing about how the veil had been replaced, apparently without her help? Why were they all so damn serene?!

What bothered him the most was that where he was, wherever it was, he was aware of a darkness blurring into the corner of his vision. Sometimes when he moved his head too fast he could catch a glance of something. Something dark. Something that definitely meant someone harm. He just hoped it wasn't one of his, and he hoped he could get back in time to do something about it. Only being able to watch and listen was already driving him insane. A peaceful spectator, he was not.

Now where was his damn body? And when was someone going to start looking for it?


End file.
